Disposable nail polish applicator



H, H. HOFF Nov. 19, 1968 DSPOSABLE NAIL POLI SH APPLICATOR Filed June 27, 1967 /NVENTo/Q:

HARRY H.HOF'F E# HIS QTTO/QNEY United States Patent O 3,411,853 DISPOSABLE NAIL POLISH APPLICATOR Harry H. H06, Atton, Mo. (6334 De Mara Drive, St. Louis, Mo. 63123) Filed .lune 27, 1967, Ser. No. 649,195 4 Claims. (Cl. 401-134) A single use device that includes two telescopically complemental elongated tubular members as its major components. One of these members is adapted to enclose a capsule wherein a determined volume of nail polish is hermetically sealed, and has an applicator brush assembly permanently secured thereto. The other member incorporates means for piercing the capsule to emit the nail polish for flow onto the bristles of the brush assembly when desired. Both tubular members and the capsule are transparent, so that the actual color and shade of the nail polish is visible.

Field of the invention Nail polish is currently manufactured in numerous colors and shades, and is comprised of a relatively viscous liquid that includes a rapidly drying lacquer. Exposed to atmosphere, nail polish quickly imparts an enamel finish to surfaces whereto it is applied. Conventionally, nail polish is sold in bottles or like containers having a closure element usually incorporating an applicator brush. The hazard of tipping the opened container and consequently spilling the contents thereof is ever present. Spillage of nail polish in consequence of carelessness or accident frequently results in damage to rugs, furniture, and so on. Furthermore, once exposed to atmosphere, the unused nail polish remaining in the container is apt to congeal and harden, and the exibility of the brush bristles for future use is usually impaired. The present invention is directed to the provision of a small compact ydevice adapted to overcome these problems.

Summary of the invention The invention is simple, and its primary object is to provide an inexpensive, single use and then disposable nail polish applying device. Accordingly, the invention teaches a relatively small article that may for example, be carried in a ladys purse or handbag, for immediate use at any time, anywhere, should she desire to adorn her nails. Obviously of course, a supply of the applicators may be on hand at her home also.

The article referred to incorporates components that may quickly be manipulated to convert them into a novel nail polish applicator following removal of a thin pressure-sensitive annular band that originally unites said cornponents.

The invention is illustrated on a sheet of drawings that accompanies this specication. Features and advantages not specifically mentioned hereinabove, will be apparent or noted in the description to follow hereinbelow with reference to said drawings.

Brie]c description of the drawings FIGURE l is a top plan view of a nail polish applicator device embodying the concepts of the present invention, the device being shown as it would appear prior to use;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the device as it would appear when conditioned for use;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a View similar to FIGURE 3, illustrating one of the steps employed in conditioning the applicator device for usage;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of FIGURE 2, with the conditioned applicator device ice shown in an exemplary polish applying position of angularity;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of the capsule enclosing tubular member of the invention; and

FIGURE 8 is an end view of said member.

Detailed description of the invention In FIGURES 1 and 3, the device of the present invention is designated in its entirety by the numeral 10. It includes, as its major components, a rst elongated tubular member generally designated 12, and a second smaller diametered elongated tubular member generally designated 14. Both of said tubular members are formed of clear plastic material, the member 12 being rigid, whereas the number 14 is pliable or to speak, yieldable to slight manually applied external pressure, The diameters of them are such that the second member 14 has a telescopic t within the rst member 12.

The large diametered member 12 includes a cylindrical side wall 16 closed at one end by an integral wall 18, the opposite end 20 thereof being open. Appropriately anchored in the wall 18 is the head and thereto adjacent portion 22 of a horizontally disposed piercing element or pointed pin 24 that projects toward the open end 20 of the member 12 as shown.

The small diametered member 14 includes a cylindrical side wall section 26, that as best seen in FIGURE 7, merges into a partly cylindrical and partly iiat wall extension 28. The end 30 of the wall section 26 is open, whereas the end of the extension 28 is closed by an integral wall 32 having a circular opening 34 formed therein, the diameter of said opening corresponding to that of the pin 24 and serving as a guide for said pin. Intermediate the open and closed ends thereof, the member 14 is provided with a projecting annular ange 36, that as will appear, serves a dual function in the conditioning of the device 10 for nail polishing operations, as will appear. The tiat portion of the extension 28 is designated 38.

Numeral 40 indicates a capsule `disposed partly Within the cylindrical section 26, and partly within the extension 28 of the second tubular member 14. Herrnetically sealed within the capsule 40, is a determined volume of quickdrying nail polish NP. In accordance with the concept of this invention, the capsule 40 would contain a sucient quantity of polish to adorn either ten finger nails or ten toe nails. The capsule 40 is preferably of the configuration shown in FIGURE 3, and is made of clear pliable plastic material. It includes a body portion 42, and rounded closed end portions 44 and 46. In the manufacture of the device 10, following the insertion of the capsule 40, a plastic abutment disc 48 would be press iitted into the tubular member 14 via the open end 30 thereof, so as to engage against the end portion 46 of said capsule as shown.

A polish applicator brush assembly is generally indicated by the reference numeral 50. Of conventional construction, it includes a holder or ferrule 52 for the bristles of 1a brush 54. In accordance with the concepts of the present invention, the brush-adjacent portion 56 of the ferrule 52 would be compressed slightly, and bent so as to lie in a plane parallel to that of the pin 24 and its guide opening 34, as illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 and 6. 'Ihe major portion of the ferrule 52 of the brush assembly S0 lies against, and is permanently bonded to the flat portion 38 of the extension 28 by a cementitious or similar adhesive agent.

With attention directed particularly to FIGURES 1, 3 :and 6, it is noted that the applicator components of the manufactured-for-sale device 10 are maintained in the status illustrated by means of an annular band 58 of thin pressure sensitive material. The band 58 includes a free end segment 60 to facilitate its manual removal.

Use

The device 10 may be conditioned for use in simple fashion. Following removal of the band 58 via its free end segment 60, the tubular members would be brought together axially until the end 20 of the member 12. engaged against the annular iiange 36 of the member 14, as illustrated in FIGURE 4. In consequence of this movement, the pin 24 would pierce the end 44 of the capsule 40, and form an opening 62 therein. Thereupon, the member 12 would be slid ot the capsule enclosing portion of the member 14, and slid onto the opposite portion thereof until its end 20 engaged against the annular flange 36, as illustrated in FIGURE 5. In such position the member 12 serves as a handle and facilitates polish application, it being remembered that the device 10 is small. FIGURE 1 is an actual size presentation, and as there shown, the device 10 has a length of about three inches. FIGURE 2 is likewise an .actual size presentation, and as there shown, the applicator has a length of about fo-ur inches.

As the conditioned device is brought t-o an .angular position such as that shown in FIGURE 5, the nail polish NP oozes through the openings 62 and 34 onto the brush bristles 54. Thereafter, as the device is being manipulated in the process of applying the polish, slight intermittent thumb and finger pressure would be exerted :against the exposed portion of the pliable plastic member 14. These intermittent pressures or squeezings would obviously be transmitted also to the pliable plastic capsule 40. The abutment disc 48 serves to stabilize the capsule 40. Consequently as should be understood, a continuous supply of the polish NP will be fed to the brush bristles as the nail polishing operations continue to completion. Thereupon, the lapplicator would be discarded.

What is claimed is:

1. A disposable nail polish applicator device including in combination:

a rst elongated tubular member formed of clear plastic material and having :a cylindrical side wall closed at one end by an integral end wall, the opposite end being open;

a second elongated tubular member formed of clear pliable plastic material and having a cylindrical side Wall that merges into a partly cylindrical and partly at wall extension, said extension being closed by an end wall opposite the open end of the side wall; said second member being telescopically slidable within portions of said rst member;

a circular opening formed in said end wall of the partly cylindrical and partly flat Wall extension of the second tubular member;

a capsule formed of clear pliable plastic material having a determined volume of nail polish hermetically sealed l therein, said capsule being enclosed within said second tubular member;

fa disc element press-litted into said second tubular member so as to engage against one end of the capsule;

capsule .piercing means in the form of a horizontally disposed pointed pin element having its head and thereto adjacent portion anchored in said end wall of the first tubular member and its pointed end portion extending through said circular opening in the end wall of the partly cylindrical and partly flat Wall extension of the second tubular member;

a brush assembly integrated with said second tubular member, the polish applying bristles of said assembly being disposed below said opening in the extension end wall when the applicator is in use; and

an annular projecting ange formed on the second tubular member intermediate the ends thereof, said ange serving to limit telescopic movements of the iirst relatively to the second tubular member.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the volume of nail polish hermetically sealed within the capsule is sufficient to adorn either ten linger nails orten toe nails, :and wherein the main body of the capsule is disposed contiguously to the pliable second tubular member, whereby manual pressure exerted against said member is automatically transmitted t-o said capsule.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the ferrule of the brush :assembly is bonded to the at wall portion of the partly cylindrical and partly flat wall extension `of the second tubular member.

4. The device of claim 1, and means for maintaining the first and second tubular members in selected telescopic disposition prior to conditioning the device for use, said means comprising an annular band of thin pressure sensitive material secured to adjacent portions of said tubular members and including a free end portion adapted to facilitate manual removal thereof and disposal of the band.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,104,651 1/1938 Hoffman 401-183 2,550,190 4/1951 Greenberg 401--183 2,905,956 9/ 1959 Fuller 401-183 FOREIGN PATENTS 463,622 7/ 1935 Great Britain. 1,021,968 3/1966 Great Britain. p

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPOSABLE NAIL POLISH APPLICATOR DEVICE INCLUDING IN COMBINATION: A FIRST ELONGATED TUBULAR MEMBER FORMED OF CLEAR PLASTIC MATERIAL AND HAVING A CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL CLOSED AT ONE END BY AN INTEGRAL END WALL, THE OPPOSITE END BEING OPEN; A SECOND ELONGATED TUBULAR MEMBER FORMED OF CLEAR PLIABLE PLASTIC MATERIAL AND HAVING A CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL THAT MERGES INTO A PARTLY CYLINDRICAL AND PARTLY FLAT WALL EXTENSION, SAID EXTENSION BEING CLOSED BY AN END WALL OPPOSITE THE OPEN END OF THE SIDE WALL; SAID SECOND MEMBER BEING TELESCOPICALLY SLIDABLE WITHIN PORTIONS OF SAID FIRST MEMBER; A CIRCULAR OPENING FORMED IN SAID END WALL OF THE PARTLY CYLINDRICAL AND PARTLY FLAT WALL EXTENSION OF THE SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER; A CAPSULE FORMED OF CLEAR PLIABLE PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING A DETERMINED VOLUME OF NAIL POLISH HERMETICALLY SEALED THEREIN, SAID CAPSULE BEING ENCLOSED WITHIN SAID SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER; A DISC ELEMENT PRESS-FITTED INTO SAID SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER SO AS TO ENGAGE AGAINST ONE END OF THE CAPSULE; CAPSULE PIERCING MEANS IN THE FORM OF A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED POINTED PIN ELEMENT HAVING ITS HEAD AND THERETO ADJACENT PORTION ANCHORED IN SAID END WALL OF THE FIRST TUBULAR MEMBER AND ITS POINTED END PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CIRCULAR OPENING IN THE END WALL OF THE PARTLY CYLINDRICAL AND PARTLY FLAT WALL EXTENSION OF THE SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER; A BRUSH ASSEMBLY INTEGRATED WITH SAID SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER, THE POLISH APPLYING BRISTLES OF SAID ASSEMBLY BEING DISPOSED BELOW SAID OPENING IN THE EXTENSION END WALL WHEN THE APPLICATOR IS IN USE; AND AN ANNULAR PROJECTING FLANGE FORMED ON THE SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, SAID FLANGE SERVING TO LIMIT TELESCOPIC MOVEMENTS OF THE FIRST RELATIVELY TO THE SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER. 